Old computers and cellphones piling up? Recycle your e-waste

Anthony Camper, of Ventura, tests used computers and components in the electronics section of the Goodwill Industries' Oxnard warehouse. Camper and his co-workers often use salvageable components from damaged computers to repair other computers that can be resold in Goodwill stores.

Ventura County Star

When technological devices' relatively short lives end, either because New Version 7.02 beckons or replacement is cheaper than repair, they become electronic waste, aka e-waste.

Dumping e-waste in landfills is illegal in California — offenders face up to $25,000 in civil fines or criminal charges — so figuring out what to do with digital detritus has become an environmental mission for consumers, businesses and governments.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, electronics make up 1 percent to 2 percent of solid waste. In 2009, 438 million new electronic products were sold in the U.S., 5 million tons were in storage and 2.37 million tons had reached the "end-of-life" stage, with 25 percent recycled.

California leads the way as one of 26 states with regulations related to handling e-waste. Ventura County and its cities must offer programs such as free e-waste collection or referrals to drop-off centers. Some retailers and manufacturers, such as Best Buy and Dell, offer e-waste recycling. Cellphone retailers are required to take back used phones.

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control lists nearly 60 e-waste handlers or recyclers in Ventura County, including the county government, nonprofits like Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties and for-profit companies such as PC Recycle in Newbury Park. PC Recycle and other companies also help coordinate e-waste collection fundraisers for schools or charities, offering the organizations some of the profit earned from selling the recycled components.

E-Charity

Ventura County's collection program, which serves the unincorporated areas of the county and some cities, recycled 82,694 pounds of e-waste in 2011 and 93,115 pounds in 2010, according to Howard E. Hope, environmental resource analyst with the county's Integrated Waste Management Division.

Even though the amount collected decreased, "The volume of e-waste is growing each year," he said. The numbers reflect the impact of the proliferation of e-waste collection events sponsored through other programs.

Most schools and charities say they don't make a large profit from e-waste fundraisers but want to be environmentally responsible and serve the community.

Colleen Brewer, principal of Cornerstone Christian School in Camarillo, said the private school held two e-waste events this school year: One raised $320 and the other $261. Recycling company G & C Technologies of Camarillo, which does not charge a fee, did the lifting, loading and paperwork.

Laird Wilson, plant administrator at La Reina High School, a private Catholic school in Thousand Oaks, said the campus has an annual e-waste collection day in the fall.

"It's tied to our senior carwash day," he said. "The idea is to throw the stuff in your car, get it out of your car, then get your car washed. We only get a couple hundred dollars. It's more about being good environmental stewards. We put the money back into ... the recycling program on campus."

The Simi Valley Education Foundation has started offering e-waste collections the last Saturday of every month at the Simi Valley Unified School District offices. Cindy Jacoby, foundation executive director, said the organization makes about $1,000 per event.

"For a small foundation, every dollar matters," she said. All the money goes to Simi Valley schools.

The third 'R'

Lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium are some of the hazardous stuff in a computer's guts, along with more precious metals such as gold and silver, all sheathed in plastic.

Other electronic items — TVs, stereos, printers, copiers, scanners, cellphones, microwaves — and their cords, cables and keyboards are of similar stock.

Since 2005, California has imposed a recycling fee on certain electronic devices that consumers pay retailers. The $6 to $10 fee is based on screen size. The state uses the fees to reimburse recyclers.

California's e-waste collection program "is one of best in the nation for volume and per capita," said Teresa Bui, policy associate with Californians Against Waste. In 2010, California recycled 193 million pounds of covered e-waste — more than any other state — or 5.25 pounds per capita. Only Oregon and Washington had higher per capita numbers in 2010 — 6.37 pounds and 5.92 pounds, respectively.

They believe the best policy is to reduce waste in the first place by buying "green" or maintaining purchases.

"Reuse" refers to selling or donating electronics, and recycling is the process of separating them into components such as plastic, glass and metals that will be sold to make new products.

"The first thing we do is test whatever comes in," said Jeff Albert, director of operations at PC Recycle. "If it can be repaired and we can put it back in the stream immediately, we will. But mostly we begin disassembly."

At its 15,000-square-foot warehouse, PC Recycle breaks down e-waste into wires and cables, which contain copper and rubber; plastics, which are baled or shredded down; circuit boards; metals like gold and silver; monitors; and glass and wood.

"We cannot do any chemical processing," Albert said. "Some things we have to send to a smelter."

local COLLECTIONs

Local municipal e-waste management programs vary.

Moorpark offers e-waste collection events for residents on the third Saturday of the month in January, May and September at the Moorpark Public Services Facility, 627 Fitch Ave.

Teri Davis, senior management analyst, said the program has grown, with 16,000 pounds of waste collected from 200 participants in January 2007 and 20,700 pounds collected from 330 participants in January 2012.

The city started collecting e-waste because, "People were asking: 'Where can I take my computers and TVs?' We wanted to offer something convenient," Davis said.

In Oxnard and Port Hueneme, residents can take up to three items or 125 pounds per month to Del Norte Regional Recycling Center, 111 S. Del Norte Blvd. in Oxnard.

Westlake Village says residents can call 800-675-1171 for once-a-year free curbside pickup of two bulky e-waste items or call the city's recycling hotline at 800-579-4979.

Ventura County manages e-waste collection for unincorporated areas as well as Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Camarillo, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. Those cities also make their own referrals to recyclers.

Thousand Oaks encourages people to take items to Goodwill Industries because its free e-waste program benefits Goodwill's job-training programs.

Bryan Haneiwich, director of operations and retail at Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, said the nonprofit collects e-waste at all its 15 locations except the Main Street store in Ventura. Electronic items are routed to Goodwill's facility in Oxnard for testing to see whether they work and can be resold in stores. Most of the e-waste, however, is sorted and shipped to PC Recycle.

"It's not hugely profitable. We do it because we want to be a one-stop recycling center for donations — and it's the right thing to do," Haneiwich said.